John d



'waited girare JOHN D. RICHARDS, or MuscATINnioWA.

Letters Patent No.`94,647, dated September 7, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROJECTILES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters-Patent andmaking part of-rth'esame.

To altwhom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, J onN D. RICHARDS, of Muscatine, in the county ofMuscatine, and State of Iowa, have invented a new and valuableImprovement in Projectiles; and I do hereby declare, that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the 'construction andoperation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings.making' a part of this specication, and to the letters and'gures ofreference marked thereon.

Figure 1, of the drawings, is a vertical section `of my l invention.

My invention relates to projectiles; and It consists, mainly, in a novelcombination and arrangement of devices by mea-ns of which a vastlydestructive missile is produced, at less 'cost than is usual with suchdevices. i j

The letter A, of the drawings', represents the main part or cylinder ofmy shell, and letter B is a repre-- sentation of a hollow cap,` arrangedupon the cylinder A, as shown.

The letter C represents a rod, passing from the bot-'- tom of the shellto the top thereof, made hollow from the-bottom to Vthe point vin thecap, indicated on the drawings.

The letters a representsmall apertures through the rod C, by which fireis communicated to the hollow chambers pf parts A and B respectively.

The letter H represents a leaden cap, bent over the bottom ofthe shell.It consists of a thick sheet of lead, made larger than the case ot' theshell, and has its edges/turned over said case, in the manner' shown.

The lower end of rod O has a thread on its, surface,

. and I aflix a unt thereto, marked c, as the drawings represent.

The letters s represent leadeu or iron balls, placed in the chambersofthe shell, and the dotted marks adjoining the same represent thepowder. y

Fire is communicated' to the powder in the respective chambers of myshell through the hollow rod O and the small apertures a.

The re is communicated by means of fuse, inserted in the rod and in theopenings leading to the respective chambers of the shell.I

I pack the bottom of the shell, around the rod and above the leaden cap,with oakum, or other suitable material, and I also pack thespacesbetween the balls or shot in the chambers with sufficient oakum toprevent the balls from rubbing against each other, or iguiting thepowder.

Great care should be taken in loading the shell, in order to preventlthe leaden cap from being pressed inward. This may be accomplished, to agreat extent, by `judicious packing, as above described.

VVh-at I claim as my invention, au'd desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

A projectile, having cylinder A, cap B, rod G, and

cap H, constructed and arranged substantiallyas specilied.

In testimony that claim the above, have hereunto Witnesses:

J. O. EcKLEs,

WILLIAM M. RIGGS.

